Chorley comedian Dave Spikey talks about his career ahead of Blackpool Grand Theatre show

Digital reporter

When Chorley comedian Dave Spikey first appeared on stage, he was petrified.

He was forced into the limelight to fill in for someone at the last minute... but, when hearing the audience laugh, he realised where his new passion lay.

At the time he was a biomedical scientist, but had always been interested in writing and comedy.

Dave began to enter talent shows and owes his career to a decision to juggle while on a motorbike. So it seems apt, to mark 30 years of being a stand-up comedian by doing an anniversary tour – Juggling on a Motorbike – inspired by his own journey.

“The tour covers my life, how I came from a working class background, and ended up becoming a biomedical scientist and then turned it into comedy, which is not a natural progression for a haematologist,” he said. “I had always been good at English and was asked why I always had a comedy element. I got involved in writing reviews for panto and I began to write and direct.

“One day someone dropped out last minute and I was the only one who knew the panto so I had to go on. I was petrified and didn’t want to go on. But when I saw the audience laugh, I got the bug for it.

“I had a friend, Abigail Todd, who said she wanted to be called Abi and would never answer to the name Abigail. I told her she was ‘A bit odd’ and she said I should be a comedian.”

Dave soon made it to the national final of talent contest Stairway to Stars and won it.

“One of the judges was Larry Grayson and I idolised him,” he said. “He said what had won it, was juggling on a motorbike. That is why I based the tour on that. I often think had I not done that routine, I would still be working at the hospital.”

The 66-year-old adds: “The tour is about the ups and downs of my life. It is not always laughs, but I don’t dwell on that too much. I talk a lot about my dad, Gordon, who was my hero.

“He was a self employed painter and decorator and his claim to fame was that he painted the hands on the Bolton Town Hall clock. But he never mentioned he fell off his ladder there. That led to him not being able to work and I had to get a job.

“My dad felt guilty, as I wanted to be a doctor. He saw an advert for a lab technician and said it would help when I return to my studies.